There will be a boat trip to Islay and Jura this Friday (31st August) to look for Sea Eagles Golden Eagles and Otters. The trip will also include a visit to the famous Corryvreckan whirlpool - the 3rd largest in the World. Contact Jim Wells on 07856235144 for more details.

A juvenile Black-necked Grebe and an eclipse male American Wigeon and two juvenile Garganey were at Lough Beg this afternoon, 5 Turnstone flew over heading south. (David Steele).

Reed Warblers are still showing in the reed bed around Kinnegoe hide at Oxford Island, see picture below. (Garry Armstrong).

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was near Kinnegoe Hide early this morning, a male Scaup was off the hide. A Ruff and a Black-tailed Godwit were at Croaghan. Two Spotted Flycatchers were along the west shore of Lough Neagh and a 2nd winter Mediterranean Gull was with Black-headed gulls at Ellis Cut. (Oscar Campbell).

A Great Skua was seen at Groomsport and 6 Storm Petrel at Burial Island.(Richard Weyl)

And thanks to Thomas Campbell for the pictures of the Gannet and the Sandwich Tern:

Seeds of success as agri-environment scheme benefits bird species on NI farms:

Yellowhammer - Alan Bates

Three key farmland bird species increased in number over a five-year period in response to an agri-environment scheme (AES), according to a study by the RSPB.

Yellowhammers, house sparrows and tree sparrows rose in abundance in farms taking part in the project across east County Down. Yellowhammers – a red-listed species (a bird of high conservation concern) which had been in sharp decline – were up by an impressive 78% between 2006 and 2011. Yet yellowhammer numbers continue to decline in the wider countryside where measures are not in place.

With the opening this week of the Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS), RSPB NI is encouraging farmers to sign up for this scheme that compensates landowners for undertaking work to enhance biodiversity and water quality.

EFS, administered by the Department of Agriculture, the Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), is open to all active farmers who have management control of at least three hectares of eligible farmland. Key options in EFS highlighted by RSPB NI are provision of winter feed crop for wild birds, retention of winter stubble, creation of arable margins and creation of pollinator margins.

The RSPB farmland bird study, the first of its kind to be carried out on the island of Ireland, included face-to-face advisory work and showed that AES land management can improve the population status of farmland bird species. As well as the surge in yellowhammer numbers on farms taking part in the AES, house sparrows were up 46% and tree sparrows up 207% in the five-year period.

Kendrew Colhoun, RSPB Senior Conservation Scientist, said: “Our study was designed to evaluate whether the last AES options led to increases in the priority species the options were targeted at - and our conclusion was a resounding ‘yes’.

“We see the EFS as a critical component as part of our work to maintain biodiversity across the countryside in Northern Ireland. Our study provides unequivocal evidence that AES can deliver for key species if the correct mix of EFS options (such as ones to provide summer and winter food and nesting habitat) are targeted to the right places and coupled with advice.”

The study assessed whether changes in the abundance of priority farmland bird species differed over a five-year period between farms under AES management and a similar sample of farms not subject to the management. It was conducted in County Down, one of the last remaining areas of lowland mixed arable farmland in Northern Ireland. Three target species (house sparrows, tree sparrows and yellowhammers) showed more positive increases in abundance on the AES farms.

Prior to the current EFS being made available last year, there had been a couple of years without an available AES and this will have had a negative impact on species including the yellowhammer.

Farmer Jack Kelly, who has a farm outside Downpatrick, has employed a range of wider options on his land - including wild bird cover, overwintering stubbles, rough grass margins, pollen and nectar margins, annual wildflower margins, native hedging and a hay meadow.

Jack Kelly said: “The agri-environmental scheme has been beneficial for us, providing the opportunity to help wildlife on areas of our land which may not be as productive as other areas. We were able to utilise field margins or awkward corners and turn them into havens for wildlife. The overwintered stubbles and wild bird cover plot provides my family and myself with a great spectacle over the winter when hundreds of birds come to feed on the seed. It works well within our farming practices and we would encourage other farmers to make the most of the EFS.”

Sean Woods, RSPB NI Conservation Advisor added: “The opening of the wider EFS provides the opportunity for farmers to help some of our most important species such as the yellowhammer, while receiving a financial reward. Many of our iconic farmland wildlife species rely on farmers utilising measures such as those found in the scheme. We are urging as many farmers as possible to enter EFS to help nature thrive on their land and we would also like to thank the forty-plus farmers that took part in the original research project.”

A Hen Harrier was quartering wheat fields at the start of the pathway from Groomsport to Ballymacormick point, see picture below. (Ronnie Snoddy).

This morning a female or juvenile Whinchat was on the beach at Newcastle in front of the golf links. (Danny Baillie).

The juvenile Roseate Tern was still at Kinnegar shore, see picture below. (Michael Latham)

A Green Sandpiper was at Dooey, on the Rosguill Atlantic Drive. Also 12 Common Scoter (and a group of Common Dophins) of Melmore am (Oscar Campbell)

Thanks to Ronnie Snoddy for the picture of the Hen Harrier, to Ginny McKee for the pictures of the Red Grouse and the Ringed Plover, to Wilf Swain for the picture of the Wheatear and to Michael Latham for the picture of the juvenile Roseate Tern:

15 Sooty Shearwaters, 400 Manxies and a Great Northern Diver Went past Melmore Head 0850-1010. This afternoon 2 1cy Mediterranean Gulls were off Rosapenna and another 2 (ad and 1cy) were at Carrigart. Also 3 Greenshank and 5 Knot at the latter (Oscar Campbell)

This is our third trip to this fascinating island off the north coast of Donegal. On previous visits we have seen nesting Great Skuas (two pairs with a chick each), a pair of Chough, Storm Petrels (which nest on the island), Bootle Nosed Dolphins, Red Deer and Grey Seals. In addition to visiting Innishrahull we will also use chum to attract Petrels and Shearwaters to our boat. For further information contact Jim Wells on 07856235144.

5 Garganey were in the south west corner of Lough Beg this morning (Richard Hunter)

A juvenile Black Tern was off Kinnegar shore this morning (Garry Armstrong)

Melmore Head Co Donegal had a Wilson's Petrel at c2pm. (Eric Randall). A Great Shearwater, 6 Pomarine Skua and 120 Sooty Shearwaters were seen this morning (Oscar Campbell). Also seen were 2 Common Scoter, 2Arctic Terns, 9 Bonxies, 3Arctic Skua, 10 Whimbrel and a Great Northern Diver. (Eric Randall / Oscar Campbell).

A juvenile Cuckoo was at Banagher Glen. Up to 6 Ruff was with approximately 100 Golden Plover at Myroe. (Lindsay Hodges).

In the evening, Melmore Head had another Great Shearwater plus 15 Sooty Shearwaters and a few Skuas (Eric Randall)

Yesterday 200 Whimbrel and a Little Gull were at Dunfanaghy (Oscar Campbell)

Thanks to Lindsay for the pictures of the Cuckoo and a Kestrel and to Wilf Swain for the picture of the Greenfinch:

A Spotted Redshank was at the Peoples Park in Ballymena this afternoon. (David Morrow).

Lough Beg this evening had a juvenile Spotted Redshank, eight Garganey and an Osprey (David Steele)

Yesterday a Roseate Tern and a Ruff were at RSPB WOW (Noeni Bryars) and this afternoon both birds were still there (Colin Mayes)

On Rathlin, the juvenile male Hen Harrier was still present today. 3 Sooty Shearwaters, 1 Arctic Skua, 7 Great Skuas, a Common Scoter and a rather late Puffin were seen offshore from the West Light. (Ric Else and Hazel Watson)Thanks to David Hill for this pic of Black-tailed Godwits in flight:

Belfast WOW reserve at high tide this morning had a Roseate Tern, the winter plumaged Ruff and a Whimbrel. (Garry Armstrong).

A Reed Warbler was at the hide at the Quoile today. (Michael Latham).

A Common Sandpiper was on the Lagan in Lisburn between the Union and Moores bridges. (Eric Randall).

Several Reed Warblers were around the Kinnegoe hide at Oxford Island, see picture below. (Garry Armstrong).

One of the Reed Warblers at Oxford Island and thanks to Michael Latham for the picture of the Sedge Warbler, to Linda Thompson for the picture of the Whimbrel and to Thomas Campbell for the pictures of the Blackcap and the Grey Wagtail:

RSPB WoW had a Peregrine, 220+ Dunlin, a Roseate Tern, 60+ Curlew and 60+ Lapwing (Derek Polley).Thanks to Dick Glasgow for the picture of the Willow Warbler and to Wilf Swain for the picture of the Black-tailed Godwit:

On Sunday a Pectoral Sandpiper was at Lady Bay, Lough Neagh (Suzanne Belshaw)

A Pectoral Sandpiper was at Lough Beg this afternoon, on the shoreline at Long Point. Also 32 Ruff, most of them at Church Island. At the southwest corner this evening there was a Green Sandpiper, Turnstone and Whimbrel all over calling but none stopped. (David Steele)

Yesterday the juvenile Black Tern at RSPB WoW disappeared for significant periods of time but was seen again at 7pm (Stuart McKee)

A Tree Pipit and 2 Crossbills over Kinramer, Rathlin this morning. All but the very last handful of Guillemots and Razorbills have now gone from the colonies. Still hundreds of Puffins this morning, but they look as though they will be gone in the next couple of days. (Ric Else and Hazel Watson)

A Wood Sandpiper was in the south west corner of Lough Beg. The Wood Sandpiper was still present this evening, also a Garganey and the first juvenile Ruff of the season. (Jeff Larkin/David Steele).

5 Tree Sparrows were in a crop field at St John's Point. (Philip Watson).

A family party of Sparrowhawks was moving through Ormeau Park in Belfast this morning. (Andrew Johnston).

The juvenile Mediterranean Gull was still at East Strand car-park in Portrush. (Colin Guy)

Thanks to Christine Cassidy for the picture of the Peregrine, to Andrew Johnston for the picture of the Sparrowhawk, to Dick Glasgow for the picture of the Dunnock and to Colin Guy for the picture of the juvenile Mediterranean Gull :

Welcome

This site is run by a voluntary group of birders documenting and recording information about the birds and wildlife of Northern Ireland. We provide information on rarities and interesting sightings so that others can enjoy. The sightings on this blog are not accepted records - rarities need to be confirmed, see https://nirbc.blogspot.co.uk/